Collapsible box



Jan. 29, 19.52 J. E. WHITLEY 2,583,915

COLLAPSIBLE BOX Filed June 50, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET l James E WhitleyINVENTOR.

J. E. WHITLEY COLLAPSIBLE BOX Jan. 29, 1952 Filed June 50, 1948 2SHEETSSHEET 2 Fig. 5.

James E. Whitley IN V EN TOR.

Patented Jan. 2 9, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

James E. Whitley, Richmond, Calif., assignor to Mabelle L. Dier, WestVancouver, British Columbia, Canada Application June so, 1943, SerialNo. 36,065 i 1 f i This invention. relates to new. and usefulimprovements in containers andthe primaryobject of thepresent inventionis to, provide acollapsible 'box'or container for pie, cakeor other suchfood.-

stuff which will retain the article placed therein fresh and sanitary.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide acollapsible container in the form of .a triangleor a segment of acylinder including a hinged cover or upper wall that embodies novel andimproved means for retaining the container in assembled position and theup per wall in a closed and locked position.

A further-object of the present invention is to provide a collapsiblebox or container that is conveniently formed from a singleblank ofmaterial which may be pasteboard or cardboard when the same is discardedafter use or of light weight metal or plastic when the same isto bereused. A still further aim of the present invention is to provide acollapsible container for sections of a pie or the like that is simpleand practical in construction, small and compact in structure, strongand reliable in use, neat and attractive in appearance, relativelyinexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purposesfor which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a plan view of the blank that is used to form the presentcontainer;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of .the forward end of thepresent container in assembled position;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the container constructed inaccordance with the present invention, and showing the same in positionfor in for the purpose of illustration, there is disclosedea preferredembodiment of the presentinvention, the; numeral ll) representsgenerallye blank of suitable-material such .ascardboard, pasteboard,plastic or metal from which the present container is constructed. a

The blank-l0 includes a substantially triangular bottom wall I2 havingan'arcuate end edge 14 and a pair of forwardly converging side edges 16and, I8 that meet and are joined as at 20. These edges. [4, I16 and [8-are shown as section lines as they represent fold lines which will laterbecome more fully apparent. Integrally formed with the arcuate edge 14of the bottom wall, I2, is an arcuate end wall or rear wall 22 having anarcuate outer edge and transverse edges 26: and 28 that align the sideedges I6 and [8 respectively.

The numera1s30 and 32. represent a. pair of substantially. rectangularside walls which are integrally formedwiththe side edges [6 and [-8 ofthe bottom wall-l2. The rear inner corners of these side. wallssarecut-off or removed to provide inclinediedges 34 and 36.

A substantially triangular upper wall 38? is provided with a pair offorwardly converging side edges 40 and 42, one of which, 40, isintegrally formed with the side wall 32 and the remaining of which,namely, edge 42 is integrally formed with a retainer strip 44 thatterminates adjacent the arcuate rear edge 46 of the upper wall 38 thatlies in the same arcuate plane with the rear arcuate edge 24 of the rearwall 22.

Projecting forwardly from the forward transverse edge 48 of the sidewall 30, is a substantially rectangular tab or forward end wall 50 whichwill bear against the inner face of the side wall 32 when the containeris assembled.

Integrally formed with the outer free longitudinal edge 52 of the strip44, intermediate the ends thereof, is a substantially rectangular tongueor holding flap 54 that slidably engages a loop 56 provided between apair of spaced parallel slits 58 formed in the central portion of theside wall 30 when the present container is assembled, as shown best inFigure 2 of the drawings.

In forming the container 60, shown in Figure 3, the rear wall 22 isfolded upwardly at an inclined angle along line or edge [4 and sidewalls 30 and 32 are folded upwardly along lines or edges 16 and 18 sothat the edges 34 and 36 of the side walls 30 and 32 abut the edges 26and 28 of the rear wall 22. If desired, the edges 34 and 36 are thensuitably secured, by adhesive strips, glue or the like. to the edges 26and 28.

Next, the forward wall 50 is folded inwardly along line or edge 48 tobear against the inner face of the side wall 32 and may be, if desired,suitably fixed thereto by glue or other such means.

Then, the upper wall or closure 38 is folded downwardly along line oredge 4ll so that its arcuate edge 46 abuts and bears upon the arcuateedge 24 of the rear wall 22 and its side edge 42 abuts and bears uponthe free outer edge 62 of i the side wall 32. 1

Finally, the retainer strip 44 is foldeddownwardly along edge or line 42to bear against the outer face of the side wall 30 and the tongue 54 isslipped through the slits 56 to engage the loop 56 thus holding thecontainer in its assembled position. V

Reference is now directed to Figure 7, wherein there is disclosed thepresent container in slightly modified form. In this embodiment, thecontainer or box is constructed fromthe single blank of material shownin Figure 1, however, the walls are separated by cutting along the edgesor lines IB, I8, 40 and 42, and the edges l6 and I8 of the bottom walll2 are hinged as at 64 and 66 to the side walls 30 and 32. Also, theupper wall 38 is hinged as at 68 and 10 to the side wall 32 and theretainer strip 44.

The tongue 12 integrally formed with the strip 44 engages a loop 14struck outwardly from the side wall 30.

The end wall 50 is hinged to the side wall 30 or may be removed byproviding an arcuate edge on either of the side walls which will overlapthe remaining side wall.

Obviously, in this latest form the device is intended to be reused andmay be conveniently cleaned or sterilized by collapsing the same.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of thedevice will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A moredetailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shownand described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same issusceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of theinvention as herein described and the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new'is:

A collapsible container comprising a substantially triangular bottomwall having an arcuate end edge and a pair of converging side edges, an

arcuate end wall hinged to the arcuate end edge of said bottom wall,said end wall having first and second end edges aligned with the sideedges of said bottom wall, first and second side walls hinged to theside edges of said bottom wall and having inclined rear edges adapted toabut the end edges of said arcuate end wall to retain the arcuate endwall inclined relative to said bottom wall, a substantially triangularupper wall having first and second sideedges and an arcuate end edge,the first side edge of said upper wall being hinged to said second sidwall, a flap hinged to the second side edge of said upper wall andadapted to overliea part of the first side wall, interlocking meansbetween the flap and the first side wall, and a further end wall hingedto said first side Wall and adapted to bear against the inner surface ofsaid second side wall.

JAMES E. WHITLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,122,054 Apell Dec. 22, 19141,158,046 Haines Oct. 26, 1915 1,651,284 Leiberman Nov. 29, 19271,673,176 Benner June 12, 1928

